Treacherous
by PurpleBacon
Summary: "And I'd be smart to walk away, but you're quick sand."
1. Chapter 1

okay so i got the before/after idea from Looking for Alaska and the roman numeral thing from someone I forgot :) The song is obviously Taylor Swift's, but the story's all mine! :)

I'm actually pretty happy with this and I hope you like it (like they like the treacherous slopes)! Read on! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own HTR, if I did it would have never ended and Zevie would be canon. I don't own the song either :)

**THIS IS A MULTI-CHAP FIC!**

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i. (after)

Uncoordinated guitar chords and strained voices. Heartless words, but inescapable memories. Lingering touches with wrecking images. Unforgettable moments of inexplicable pleasures.

_Put your lips close to mine_

She remembers the words she whispered in his ear. The darkness of the night coating the elated look on his face as their lips almost found comfort in each others.

_As long as they don't touch_

He remembers the thunderous beat of his heart as he felt her breath graze against his skin. Her words bounced against the walls of his mind until everything rational melts inside his skull when her lips rest inches away from his.

_ii. (before)_

_Out of focus, eye to eye_

"Remember me as yours." She speaks.

His coffee-brown eyes search her hazel ones and all he sees, even against the blackness of the sky, is the bright, mysterious twinkle in her eyes he never ever understood himself.

_iii. (after)_

_Till the gravity's too much_

He breaks down and screams with all the voice left in him. The tears fall faster than the speed of light, faster and never seeming to end.

It's been two weeks since they scratched each other's hearts out and left it with an invincible scar. He's tired of crying, but the tears don't fail him.

She doesn't remember all the words they scream at each other. She doesn't even remember why and what made them fight. It's all been tampered with regret and wounds. She doesn't understand the whirlwind of feelings slamming her back and forth against the walls she built. Anger and hurt, regret and pain, vengeance and insanity, freedom and shock—all of these overwhelming emotions pumping in her veins, replacing her blood and taking her mind._  
_

iv. (before)

_And I'll do anything you say_

They were very fond of whispers. It was like their special message between just the two of them. It made them feel alone and together even in a crowded room.

"It's our 3 year anniversary." He breathes against her ear.

"What do you have planned, Mr. Sir?" She asks him in a barely audible voice.

"How about a movie, m'lady?" He says, a playful smirk playing on his lips.

"Agreed."

Their lips touch for a moment before Kacey's loud voice interrupts them.

v. (before)

_If you say it with your hands_

"This wasn't in the plan." She tells him with a hint of laughter as his lips graze her jaw. Her words are quiet through the heaving of their chests. Their breathing is unsteady, and so is the beating of their hearts. Loud thumps beating against their ears, so loud they were conscious that the other might have heard it.

He laughs as he rests his hands on her hips. "Wouldn't change it for anything." Their lips meet yet again. Chapped and pristine moving in sync and as one. No more words were said as the passionate and meaningful night broke into daylight, and suddenly they both felt complete.

It was a night they would never forget.

_vi. (after)_

_And I'd be smart to walk away_

She called herself stupid so many times, the word was like a tattoo scorched into her brain. When she was with him, she forgot. She forgot about all her rules against boys, especially the ones like Zander. He was basically the perfect example for number 1 on her list. He was the inevitable pretty boy. He was the one who enjoyed all the attention he would get from numerous girls and couldn't bear to live without it. She couldn't have forgiven herself for falling so fast.

She couldn't escape the fact that he was there to catch her when he made her fall in the first place. He was there.

He was the best bad idea she ever had.

_vii. (before)_

_But you're quick sand_

"You would have been an amazing singer." His voice rings loudly through the room.

She laughs. "Oh and what, steal Kacey's spotlight? Come on, Z. I'm not _that_ evil. It's not like she's had everyone kissing her feet as she sings to an autotuned track."

He looks at her with an amused look. "Oh, wait. That's exactly what it's like." She deadpans.

"Stevie, if you had just accepted my offer in the first place, it wouldn't have come down to this." He steps closer to her.

"I told you I didn't want that much attention." She tells him.

"You're so humble." He teases.

"We should get to class, Z."

"Stevie, I'm sorry." He starts to whisper. "I should have known you wouldn't get along with the school's most popular girl."

"It's done and over with." She tries to give him a sincere smile.

"But, Steves, you know that you're way better than the Perfs. Your down-to-earth voice and personality would beat their fake smiles, any day." He looks her in the eyes as he says the truthful words.

"You sure know how to flatter a _lady_." She forces herself to ignore the blood creeping to her cheeks and the butterflies playing in her stomach.

"Remember me as yours, Steves." He whispers into her ear as he walks out of the room.

That was the first time the whispers started. She felt his warm breath land on her skin and it was long until the tingle of it was finally ignorable.

She doesn't know it, but inspiration comes to him from her words and before he knows it, he's writing a song about Stevie. And she doesn't ever figure it out.

viii. (after)

_This slope is treacherous_

He doesn't mind the gaping hole in his stomach or the cracked remains of his heart when he sets his mind on something. Suddenly, everything fades away. He doesn't understand the rush and the need of it all happening so suddenly, but he couldn't stop himself. He felt like something was tugging him to see her, feel her once again.

He doesn't even care what will happen. He only cares that it will happen.

_This path is reckless_

His every footstep was a taunting call to turn back. But the thought of being closer and closer he is to seeing her face, pushes him forward. To a stranger, he would have looked completely insane with his tear-stained cheeks, red and outraged eyes, and balled-up fists. But to someone who understood, he was no less than a heartbroken teenager in need of a warm touch.

He doesn't care if it would be the last.

As long as it happens.

_This slope is treacherous_

She doesn't see it coming, the sudden surge of electricity jolting up her spine when she remembers the whispered words. All her thoughts travel to the every feature of him. His mesmerizing brown eyes riddled with lines of pure happiness, his irresistible pale, kissable lips, his strong arms, his curly hair, his flirtatious smile, and that dreamy look he gets when he's with her. The whirlwind inside her gets knocked out by the image of him until there's only one thing left.

It was like a gravitational pull towards him.

ix. (before)

_An like it_

She came home to red petals on the floor, leading to her room. She sees Zander standing there with a bouquet of roses in his hand, except he was holding them upside down. Her gaze lifts up to the roof of her room where she sees more than a hundred roses hung upside down. Oddly enough, it looked beautiful.

"Happy one-year anniversary!" Zander cheers.

She point up to her rose-clad room. "I think you hanged them wrong, Z."

"No." He says with a knowing smile. "You hang roses upside down, they last longer that way."

She gives a cheerful smile. "Really?"

He nods his head. "And we're going to be just like those roses."

"Upside down?"

"Metaphorically." He says. "Because even when our relationship takes an inexplicable upside down turn, we're still going to last long."

The smile on her lips and her twinkling eyes was enough to make him lean in and touch his lips with hers.

"So, we're practically invincible?" She asks.

"Long-lasting."

"Longer than forever."

"We're roses that hang upside down." They both lean in for another sweet kiss.

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How was that? :) next chapter will be up soon! :) ily guys reviews would be greatly appreciated! fghsknjasdjds

stay white lights!


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the next chapter! Sorry if it took a while :) I hope you've liked it so far! Another chapter will be up soon enough!

Reading on

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x. (after)

_I can't decide if it's a choice_

He doesn't forget what he did. Before he could even think about it, his fingers reach out for a nearby bush and plucks out a full-grown red rose.

Blood spills from the prick of a thorn on his thumb. He ignores the dripping, and clutches the stem of the rose as if it's dear life. It practically is. The thorns continue to prick him, but no amount of blood could equal to the stained glasses of his heart.

The words roam around his head like traffic lights.

"Invincible." "Long-lasting." "Longer than forever."

He wasn't going to throw those words away.

xi. (after)

_Getting swept away_

She believed him. She believed their forevers and long-lastings and invincibles. These were words she put her heart into, until it was branded into her.

We are forever, she once told herself.

We are invincible, she once believed.

We are roses hanging upside down, she trusted.

xii. (after)

_I hear the sound of my own voice_

"Stevie!" He screams with all that's left of him. He doesn't care how many people he wakes up. All he cares about is seeing Stevie. He's surprised by how loud and definite his voice is. It was hoarse, but still strong. He beats on her door with all the strength he could muster.

"Stevanna Baskara!" He yells. The sound of her name already brought him to inevitable tears. "Please."

He's surprised when the door clicks open.

xiii. (before)

_Asking you to stay_

"Zander, don't leave me." She whispers softly as the tears of the memory flood her.

He pulls her closer to him until their faces are inches away. "Never."

She leans her head on his shoulder as he kisses her forehead. "Stay." She speaks and all her walls started to crumble. She was as vulnerable as ever.

"Invincible, Stevie." He reminds her.

A tiny smile crosses her lips. "Long-lasting."

"Longer than forever."

xiv. (before)

_And all we are is skin and bone trained to get along_

"No, Zander. The cymbals are supposed to be for the drums, not your face." She says sarcastically.

He gives a fake smile. "Nice try, Stevie. But I wasn't checking myself out."

"Who said I was?"

He rolls his eyes. "I don't even know why we're doing this bet all over again." His eyes set straight on Stevie. "Stevie's not doing a very good job at it."

"Oh, I thought Mr. Handsome would be having a rather pleasant time without gazing at the reflection of his oh-so wondrous face."

He points an accusing finger at her. "That was offensive, Stevie! You were being sarcastic!"

"Oh, really? I thought it was pretty nice of me to call you handsome and wondrous." She gives a taunting smile.

He pouts and stomps his feet like a little kid. "Guys, Stevie's cheating!"

"I am not!" She argues. "You're the one trying to look at your face at every reflective surface!"

"But you're still being sarcastic! Doesn't that include at slamming?"

"How would you know if I was being sarcastic?!"

"Because you _streeetch_ your words and you crinkle that evil nose of yours!"

"Noses can't be evil, you idi—" She stops in her tracks realizing it before it's too late.

"Idi—what?" He teases, leaning towards her.

"Idi…omatic expression!" She fixes. "Yah. You idiomatic expression."

"What is that supposed to mean?" He yells, outraged.

"No one knows." She answers. "Therefore, it's not slamming."

"Stevanna Baskara!" He scolds. "You are a very stubborn girl."

"Aw. I love you too, baby." She teases, then gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"Just because you're my girlfriend doesn't mean that that's going to work!" He screams after her as she walks away.

"Don't get mad, Z." She says, turning back. "It causes wrinkles."

He stomps his feet and gives a frustrated cry.

"Bless your honeysuckle heart, darling." Then she walks away.

Zander turns to Kevin and Nelson who have been watching them intently the whole time. "She infuriates me." He mumbles, scowling.

Kevin fans himself with his hand. "Whew. That was _intense_." He says. "It was like a dragon trying to feast on an evil pixie."

"That's what she is." Zander nods his head. "An evil, irresistible pixie that puts you under her cruel but pleasurable curse."

Nelson stares at him then laughs. "You would think that dating would fix their bickering problem, but no. An exploding battlefield of Civil War wouldn't stop them from arguing over something silly."

Zander smiles mischievously. "We're invincible." He shrugs.

xv. (after)

_Forever going with the flow but you're friction_

She doesn't know what force brings herself to rush to the door and open it without a moment's hesitance when she hears his voice call her name. She guesses it has something to do with that deep, dark hole of desperation at the pit of her soul.

When she opens the door to see Zander standing there, looking as bad as she does, she almost breaks down into his arms and begs for him to take her back. The sight of his crazed, distraught eyes turning to a lighter shade when he sees her, his heaving shoulders and his unsteady breathing, the stains of dried tears on his cheeks, his wrinkled clothes and dark eyebags, his trembling, bloody fingers and ghastly pale skin. It was all too much for her.

"Stevie." He gazes at her as if she were some angel, but she knew too well that she was just a replica of the state he's in right now.

They stare at each other's cracked eyes for a moment. No words said, just the soft hum of the wind and their hearts beating. They communicated with the flashes in their eyes, all as longing as the others.

_This slope is Treacherous_

"I love you." He whispers.

The words flew in the wind and ricocheted towards her, stinging her where it hurts the most. He had to speak those words in such a sudden burst and without explanation when she's been waiting for him to have a decent explanation to why and how they fought, because she was blind to all the questions already.

"What?" She asks, dumbfounded.

xvi. (before)

_This path is reckless_

"Happy three week-aversary!" He cheers, holding her hand.

"Are you really counting?" She asks, but smiles eitherway.

"Yes." He answers. "And that is why I am taking you out on this lovely night with all the stars up and constellations obvious."

She looks up to the twinkly sky. "It's beautiful."

He sits down on a patch of grass and pulls her down with him. She lays her head on his chest as he fiddles with her hair. She points to the sky after a silent moment. "See, those 5 stars over there."

He follows her finger and squints his eyes. "Kinda."

"The star at the top then the two right beside each other and then the farther two at left and right of it. Connect those." She says, as if she's memorized the words.

He narrows his eyes. "I can't figure it out."

"Of course, you don't. Your imagination isn't as wild as mines is." She laughs.

"What is it?"

"A dove." She answers. "And it reminds me of you."

He smiles lovingly at his girlfriend. "You're amazing." He whispers.

She giggles. "No chiz."

The silence that follows is comfortable and secure. The soft hum of the wind and the chirping of the crickets mask their rhythmic breathing. As the night grew by the minute, they felt themselves fall for each other even more just with words unspoken.

"Stevie," He whispers into her ear.

"Hmmm?" She closes her eyes and snuggles deeper into him.

"I love you."

When he says it, he feels a tingle in his stomach that makes him smile. All of the sudden, he feels complete. It takes another moment of silence for Stevie to understand the meaning behind the words. The words seem to travel from his lips and into her mind, then finds its way to the beating of her heart.

"What?" She says, a cheerful smile crossing her lips.

He moves closer to her ear, until his lips are almost touching the soft skin of her ear. "I love you." He whispers and she could almost see the smile on his lips even with her eyes closed.

She opens her eyes and leans her body on her elbow, so that her face was just inches above his. She bites her lip as she stares into his beautiful, brown eyes and starts to think that there will always be so much more constellations in his eyes than in the sky.

"I love you too." She says in a voice as soft as the leaves falling.

Their lips finally touch and the stars in their eyes explode to sparks.

The night of their first 'I-love-you'

xvii. (after)

_This slope is Treacherous_

"I love you." He repeats just like the first time, except now he's begging and afraid.

She wants so much to tell him those three words back. All she wants is for it to be all okay again, as if nothing wrong ever happened. She wants to feel their invincibility again. But she couldn't deny the broken thread between them. The scratched glass in their hearts was pushing them apart.

"Please." He begs. His voice sounds as cracked as his heart and the tears from his eyes are falling rapidly. The frown on his face and his clenched hands asking for forgiveness and it almost looked like he was going to fall on his knees and lose his voice over her.

That's exactly what he does.

_xviii. (before)_

_I I I like it_

"Will you, Stevanna Baskara," He whispers into her ear after their hour-long argument over which color best symbolizes love. "Be my one and only girlfriend?"

"Remember me as yours."

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okay okay next chapter will be up soon! :) and making a Zolly fic based on Pretty/Unpretty (Molly's POV) love you guys REVIEWS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED DFJSKDGNJKASD

stay white lights :P


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